Trump pressures Venezuela; Shutdown layoffs paused : NPR

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Today's top news

President Trump confirmed yesterday that he has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela. He presented it as part of a campaign to crack down on the country's drug trade. On Tuesday, the US military struck a fifth ship that the Trump administration said was carrying drugs. The US has also built up forces in the Caribbean, raising questions about whether it goes beyond stopping the drug trade and perhaps involves regime change.

• 🎧 The president says the focus in Venezuela is not just on drugs. According to him, we are also talking about the number of Venezuelan migrants who have entered the United States in recent years. Tensions between Trump and the country date back to his first administration, when he tried to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, NPR's Franco Ordoñez reports. Up first. Trump has spent significant political capital fighting Maduro but remains in power. Some experts believe Trump may view this as unfinished business. The White House has defended the actions, saying Trump campaigned on promises to fight the cartels and stop the flow of drugs into the United States, Ordonez said.

A federal judge in San Francisco has temporarily halted the Trump administration's latest wave of federal workforce layoffs. This comes as the federal government shutdown exceeds the two-week mark. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, who is overseeing the case, said she believes these dismissals are probably illegal.

• 🎧 Unions representing federal workers say administration is using quarantines illegally engage in politically motivated force reductions. NPR's Andrea Xu says unions have been discussing how, despite a difficult year for federal workers, those who need to go to HR for important documents like health care information are unable to do so because they have been laid off. Government lawyer Elizabeth Hedges tried to convince the judge that she should not hear the case at all because federal employee personnel matters are handled by a specific agency that is currently closed.
• ➡️ That's what a disconnect is. funds for you and your part of the country.

The military received its pay yesterday thanks to a last-minute intervention by the Trump administration. Trump announced over the weekend that the administration would transfer $6.5 billion in unused research funds to pay salaries. However, the fix did not address the underlying anxiety experienced by military families as the quarantine continues.

• 🎧 Unemployment is a problem for military spouses as they move frequently throughout the United States.” says Steve Walsh of NPR network station WHRO. The Biden administration has encouraged spouses to seek federal government jobs, including at local bases. Now these spouses are not paid along with other federal employees, meaning their families I'm missing out on my salary. Walsh says several sources note that this closure is different from previous ones. Military families are worried that the next paycheck, due at the end of the month, may not arrive on time.

Deep Dive

Natural gas prices are currently relatively low, but residential gas utility rates are near record highs. This trend is being felt throughout the United States. Prices are rising because customers pay more for infrastructure, construction, utilities and taxes than for the fuel itself. The money being spent on infrastructure that will last for many years comes at a time when scientists say the world will move away from fossil fuels, including natural gas. Climate activists are now wondering why are gas companies making these investments?.

• 💸 Gas companies usually do not make a profit from the gas itself; instead, utilities make money by building new infrastructure, such as pipelines. Regulators allow companies to recover costs and profits from customer accounts.
• 💸Pipeline replacement programs have contributed to changes in bills over the past 40 years. Last year, less than a third of customers' bills went to gas, and about two-thirds went to other expenses.
• 💸 Gas companies note that one of the reasons why gas makes up a smaller share of bills is because it is relatively cheap. Natural gas remains the cheapest way to heat homes in the winter, according to the Energy Information Administration. At the same time, construction costs have increased.
• 💸 Activists are calling on state housing and communal services regulators to consider cheaper alternatives to replacing old gas pipelines. This includes repairing lines, disconnecting sections of gas pipelines, and switching houses to electrical appliances.

Find out more about what affects price of your monthly gas bill.

Picture show

Cumbia throughout Latin America is a visual reportage highlighting the people, places and cultures that support this genre of music in six countries.

In Peru, the term “chicha” can refer to a sacred drink made from fermented corn or to the Peruvian cumbia music. It has also been used pejoratively to ridicule Lima's immigrant culture, especially during the mass migration of Andean indigenous people to the city in the 20th century. When it comes to music, this term becomes controversial. Alfredo Villar, writer and art historian, says chicha “is the most complex aspect of Peruvian identity because it mixes everything from the deepest roots to the most extreme and complex external influences. That’s why it’s so hard to define… Chicha will always surprise you.” Learn more about complexity how cumbia developed in Peru and see photos of his influence in the country. You can also read the article in spanish.

3 things you need to know before your trip

1. Natalie Grabow, an 80-year-old grandmother, is being called an inspiration after she became… the oldest woman to complete the grueling task The irony of a Hawaiian dump on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
2. LitBox, a vending machine selling books written by local authors in the nation's capital, bring hope to the literary community as writers grapple with cuts to arts funding.
3. Greetings from the Rhone Glacier! This week, NPR's postcard series “Far Lands” takes us to where scientists are conducting tests that include releasing bright pink dye see how quickly the glacier is melting.

This newsletter has been edited Lunch Manuel.